Explosive projectile



1944- w. E. THIBODEAU EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE Filed Feb. 6, 1941 INVENTOR WI I {red E. ThIbOdGOU BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES ATE NT OFFICE 1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March a, 18 83, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to projectiles in general and in particular to small arms and medium explosive projectiles.

The limited spac in these types of projectiles and the cost of manufacture will as, a general rule, prohibit the use of firing devices such as the cumbersome fuses known in the projectile art. The need is for simplicity of design, minimum number of parts and low cost of inanufacture consistent with safety and fidelity of operation. A further desideratum is ease of assembly, and it is highly convenient and safe to load priming units separately for ultimate insertion into the projectile.

The projectile of the invention accomplishes these designs by incorporating in a projectile a simple firing device consisting of an inertia-firing member placed in juxtaposition with detonating material without any of the usual safety barrier members restraining against its inertial progress in handling or on impact. The firing member is restrained however as to motion in directions other than that necessary for detonation on impact. That is to say, it is supported laterally by the inner Walls of the projectile while being left free of any unyielding barriers in the direction of the projectile axis and is held snugly during ordinary handling by the packed detonating material. The ease and safety of assembly provided will be clear as the description proceeds.

It is therefore an object of this invention to produce a projectile having a simple inertia firing member in contact with and restrained only by the detonating material in the direction of the axis of the projectile and in contact with and receiving lateral support from the inner walls of the projectile.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a compound projectile affording ease of assembly of the priming units.

To these and other ends, the invention consist in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claim forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention i illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation in section of the forward portion of a projectile, and

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 1 showing modifications.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference there is shown in Figure 1 a main projectile body I surrounded by a jacket 2 having an ogival portion 3 and. rearwardly seated on a shoulder 4 of body I. The truncated forward face 5 of body I has a central bore 6 and in this bore is snugly fitted a cylindrical pin 1 with. hemispherical ends 8 and 9.

Between the face 5 and the inner walls of the ogive 3 is a space I 0 into which the outer portion 8 of pin I protrudes. Surrounding the head 8 and filling the space I0 is the detonating material II.

Inside body I is a cavity I2 containing a main explosive charge I3. Also in cavity I2 and surrounding the inner end 9 of pin 6 i a further quantity of detonating material II, although this may be omitted.

The bore 6 will steady pin I against all lateral disturbances and th detonating material closely packed about the ends of pin 6 will support the pin in the longitudinal directions. When properly packed; this detonating material will not be set 01f by disturbances of the firing pin in ordinary handling, due to its packing, the small mass of the pin and the smooth contours of the pin ends. On impact after firing, however the force i suflicient to detonate and this detonation is supplemented by the percussion of that portion of the detonating material behind the pin, which is set off by stoppage of the pin.

In assembling the projectile, the detonating material I I is first packed into the nose of the jacket 2. In this operation a space may or may not be left to accommodate the outer end 8 of pin 1. If the space is not left, the pin is later forced in. The shell cavity I2 is then loaded with explosive I 3, topped with detonating material and the pin inserted in bore 6. Assembly is then virtually completed by placing the body member I into the jacket 2 and fixing the two by any appropriate means.

In Figure 2 is shown a modification of the firing member. Here the striker I4 has been foreshortened to bring the hemispherical ends of the striker together to form a sphere. The lateral support of the striker by the projectile walls has been retained, however.

In Figure 3 is shown a modification of the striker and of the primer. Here the striker I5 is constructed along the lines of the front portion only of the striker I of Figure 1, the rear detonating material has been omitted and a booster I6 substituted therefor, and the detonating mabullets, the priming had to be packed into a com-1 plete bullet whereas in the present case this loadfusible or heat destructible material such as a mixture of refractory and carbonaceous materials, as disclosed in application Serial Number 375,379 filed January 22, 1941, now Patent Number 2,314,891. Between the sphere 22 and the jacket 24 is the packed detonating material ll. Since the pin 25 contacts the sphere 22, the latter is held in its seat-ZI. There is thus furnished an additional safety against detonation in the event of accidental shocks prior to firing. On firing,

. the resistance ofiered by pin 25 will dissipate duev r ..to the heat generated by friction of the projectile ing is performed on a separate capsule andthe latter simply placed into the bulletat will. They may thus be stored prior to assembly, and defective loadings are more easily detected, and'less expensive and time-consuming consequences en- 7' f sue therefrom. Furthermore, since the making of the projectile and packing of, theprimer are] performed separately, there will be a tendency to avoid bottlenecks in production. 7 l,

In, Figure 4 is shown a. projectile With a main body portion portion l9 with Icentral'opening 20 countersunk asat .21 to; provide a'rseat for the spherical striker'22.

-'Tightly fitted in an axial bore 2,3 in the nose of jacket 24 is a pin 25 of solder or, other easily IShaVing aninwardly flanged end with the gun barrel and with the air in flight.

I claim 5 Ina hollow projectile, a radially inward constriction of the inner walls thereof defining an axial throat relatively narrow with respect to the.hollo w portion, said constriction separating the inner portion of the projectile into a large reanchamber and a small forward chamber, a metallic sphere .slidably fitted in said throat contact with the sides thereof, "a main; explosive. charge in-saidrearchamber spaced from said sphere, and a detonating chargecompletely filling theavailable s'pacein said forward chambenand fillingzvthe space between said main charge; and

said sphere.

a 'W'ILFREDETHIBODEAU. 

